25 Ways to Say I Love You
by Sariah Loire
Summary: There are so many ways she says 'I love you', without ever saying a word. RenxKyoko, 25 drabbles/one-shots written from prompts.
1. Blood

_**25 Ways to Say I Love You  
**_Sariah Loire  
1. Blood

_I'm taking up a 25-part challenge, featuring short drabbles focused on Ren and Kyoko. There will be fluff, angst, and much more, but I'll do my best to keep it all in-character!_

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

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Blood was covering my sight, I couldn't see, couldn't hear, couldn't think. Every breath I took was full of the smell, the warmth was spreading across my hands.

What had I done? What was I doing? I had hurt someone again, like I did often when I lost control of myself.

But this time it wasn't me, I look like a stranger in the mirror in front of me. Who does that dark hair belong to? Ren Tsuruga? Who is that? Who am I right now?

Why do I keep doing this, pretending to be someone I'm not? Why don't I tell everyone who I am? Why don't I scream it from the rooftops, and let the pieces of my fragile new life shatter?

"Kuon?" A small voice came from the darkness, jerking me out of the nightmare. A small, thin arm laid across my chest, the hand resting on my rapidly beating heart. "Did you have a bad dream?" She murmured into my arm, not completely awake.

I turned on my side, running a hand through her dark, black hair. Her eyes were closed, but I knew how bright they could shine. "Remembering, Kyoko." She opened her eyes at that. Neither of us liked to think of the past too often. "Just remembering."


	2. Wish

_**25 Ways to Say I Love You  
**_Sariah Loire  
2. Wish

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

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There was only one wish I had now, and it was that I would make it in time to tell her before she worked it out for herself.

Where had everything gone wrong? When did my life begin to fall apart around me? I know it was long ago, when I was still the blonde-haired fairy boy in Kyoko's childhood. Even back then, it was so hard to turn her down. I tried, god, I had tried.

But, when she asked to play with my hair, those gorgeous amber eyes wouldn't allow anything but a 'yes' to leave my lips. And afterward, when she found a few blonde strands of hair shining in the mass of darkness, I couldn't make myself lie to her again.

She had nearly ran from me, and I didn't try to stop her. There was no need to try and make it _better_, not when she knew she had been lied to. No doubt she was wishing on her Corn stone, trying to dispel the worries and theories that were fighting their way into her mind.

When I let her go, I went the opposite way. I found my savior, the one who remembered what I really looked like. She changed my hair back, and I took the liberty of removing the darkened contacts that were hiding the 'fairy-eyes' that Kyoko had loved so much. Now, for the first time in my life, I was ready.

She was hiding in an obscure hallway, clutching the stone, oblivious to my footsteps. Just as I had pictured it, so many times in the past few hours.

"Kyoko?"

The stone slipped from her hands when she saw me, it hit the floor with a loud _crack_. She was fixated on the appearance of the first boy she had ever loved, her very own fairy prince from her childhood.


	3. Promise

_**25 Ways to Say I Love You  
**_Sariah Loire  
3. Promise

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

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When I asked her to promise me that she would stay safe, she smiled, nodded, and answered with a kiss. The promise was kept when she refused to do a dangerous scene that ended up giving the stunt double three broken bones.

When I asked her to promise me that she would come home to me, she gave me another smile, another nod, another kiss. She kept that promise by arriving home a day early after her filming in Kyoto, surprising me by taking the midnight flight.

When I asked her to promise me that she would love me forever, well… that had been answered with more than a smile. The promise was fulfilled today, when we said our vows before a 200-guest audience. My eyes never left hers, but they tell me it was a beautiful ceremony.


	4. Undecided

_**25 Ways to Say I Love You  
**_Sariah Loire  
4. Undecided

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

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The first time he attacked her, I wasn't there. I held myself back when they told me what happened. The anger, the worry, every emotion I was capable of feeling was blown out of proportion. I wanted nothing more than to pay him back with my own fists. I know what I'm capable of, that man could have never stood up to it.

The second time, I wasn't quite so nice. I found him in the act, he had her pinned down as they were arguing and fighting. I grabbed his wrist with all intentions of flinging him across the courtyard, but he jerked out of my grasp before I could. If I had let my anger go that time, he would be in a grave today.

The third time he found her, I wasn't told until recently. He accosted her for chocolates, and she never realized why. He gave her the explanation, but he doesn't know how oblivious she was to love at that point in her life. I laugh when I think about that time, since she had no clue she had won another admirer.

The fourth time he appeared, he caused more trouble than pain. He made Kyoko lose her first kiss, which should have been for me alone. His meddling was an annoyance, but I owe him one for putting Fuwa in such an uproar that he showed his immaturity to everyone present.

The fifth time, he frightened her more than the other times put together. She came running to me, and I welcomed her with open arms. I held her all night, after she cried herself to sleep from fear. I still have to thank him for that, now that I think about it.

The sixth time he tracked her down, he took a piece of her heart with him. He stole her precious Corn stone, and vanished from our sight. Maybe I owe him my thanks for that one, too. What else could have made me decide to tell Kyoko that she hadn't lost her 'Corn' after all?


	5. Heaven

_**25 Ways to Say I Love You  
**_Sariah Loire  
5. Heaven

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

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I trudged through the snow, feeling the weight pushing against my legs. It wanted me to give in, to let go of my hope. It wanted me to die on this mountain.

There was no way I could give in; I had to make it back home. Kyoko was waiting for me. She needed me, and more importantly, I needed her. I could just picture it. The lights of home would be shining, and Kyoko would be waiting at the door for me, with her favorite worried expression. She might would even turn into Mio when I told her about the mistakes I had made on the job today.

My foot caught a rock, and I stumbled. In the matter of a few moments, I was almost completely covered in snow. I tried to stand up, but my legs were caught under the accumulation. I felt the pain shoot up to my hips as I pulled against the snow. _'Am I going to die here?'_

"Help, please…" My words weren't coming out right, they sounded slurred, as if I was half-asleep. Or drunk, but those days were long behind me. "Help." My breath rasped, barely audible.

"Kuon?"

Was I dreaming? I could have sworn I heard Kyoko's voice through the blizzard that was forming. "Kyoko, help me."

"Daddy, wake up!"

I felt something land on my chest this time, freeing one of my legs. It took my breath away, causing my eyes to snap open. _'Ah, that would be the cause.'_ On my chest sat an impish girl, barely five years old. Her blonde hair was messy, having not been brushed yet that morning.

"Mommy, daddy's awake!" On my legs sat my two sons, both three years old, both with the same dark brown hair.

Kyoko was sitting on the side of the bed, smiling down at me. "Which dream was it this time? The avalanche or the rock slide?"

"Avalanche." I groaned, trying to sit up. I was still trapped by the children who considered Sundays, the one day I slept in, the best day of the week. "Couldn't you find another way to wake me up?"

"It was their idea, not mine." Kyoko held out a mug of coffee to me, gently moving our daughter off of my chest so she wouldn't hit the mug. "And you know you don't mind."

I took the mug gratefully, squinting at the clock while I took a few sips. _'Six a.m.?'_ I groaned, shifting under the weight of our family. Kyoko grabbed the mug out of my hand, just in enough time for the twins to join their sister in her decision to wrestle around. I took the chance to maneuver out from under them, before joining in. Once Kyoko deposited the mug safely on the nightstand, I pulled her in on the fun.

"Daddy, I like Sundays the best!" Our daughter was giggling happily as Kyoko tickled her. Her shining eyes were so much like Kyoko's.

"So do I." My gaze caught Kyoko's; she was watching me from the other side of the bed. "So do I."


	6. Think

**_25 Ways to Say I Love You  
_**Sariah Loire  
6. Think

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

_**_

"Think, Kuon, think."

It wasn't often that I talked to myself, but this was one of those rare occasions. The hospital walls were looming around me, their stark white colour wasn't helping my thought process. It actually seemed to be making it worse. "She's depending on me, I have to think."

My father was in the next room, probably doing the same thing I was. But, in reality, it all came down to me. I started pacing, often catching my foot on the chairs lining the walls, pulling them out of line.

"Ren!" I turned my head, there was Mr. Yashiro. After all this time, he still hadn't decided which name he was going to call me. So he used both, changing it up. He had to work late into the night, rearranging my work schedule. I had been disappointed by his absence, but I couldn't fault the man for wanting sleep after being up for 34 hours.

"Mr. Yashiro, there was no need to hurry up here, you could have slept longer." I patted the man's shoulder as he tried to catch his breath. From his looks, I guessed he had run all the way from the bottom floor.

Yashiro collapsed into a nearby chair, letting his briefcase hit the floor. After a few moments, he reached and unsnapped the briefcase, letting it fall open. He started pulling out various gifts and presents, handing them to me. They were wrapped in tissue paper, decorated with bright ribbons and bows. I took the dainty gifts, not exactly sure what I should do with them.

"Kanae asked me to bring them; it was too early to pick them up this morning when we got your call."

"Ah, thank you, Mr. Yashiro. I'm sure Miss Kotonami will want to give them to Kyoko." I set the gifts on an empty chair; there were more important things I was supposed to be thinking about. I was about to start pacing again when my father, Kuu, stuck his head in the waiting room door.

"Kuon, Kyoko is asking for you." He spotted Mr. Yoshiro, and beamed the man a smile. "Hello, Mr. Yashiro! Kuon told me the news, congratulations!"

Now it was Mr. Yashiro's turn to squirm with embarrassment, as he had tried to make me do for so long. He nodded at the older man, closing his briefcase again. "Thank you, Mr. Hizuri."

I walked out of the room, trying to find my bearings in the stark white hallways. I overheard Kuu asking Mr. Yashiro about the wedding plans before I let the door close behind me. With a small amount of difficulty, I managed to find the room I was looking for. The door was decorated with pink ribbons and small plush animals, much to my surprise. It had to be my mother's work.

I knocked softly on the door, before walking into the room. Miss Kotonami and my mother were gathered around Kyoko's bed, quietly talking. They looked up in surprise when I walked in the room, as if I was the one who was out of place. "Miss Kotonami, Mr. Yashiro is in the waiting room. He has some things for you."

She jumped up, grabbing her purse. "Thanks, I'll go make sure he picked up everything." She gave Kyoko a quick hug, and exited the room. Her diamond ring caught the room light before the door closed behind her.

"Do I get a turn?" I asked my mother, smiling softly at the bundle in her arms. She pouted a little, but handed it to me. Quietly excusing herself, she left Kyoko and me alone, along with the squirming mass of blankets.

Kyoko rubbed her bleary eyes, she was just waking up again. The pain medication made her drowsy, but the doctors said she was fine. I carefully leaned over the bed and kissed her softly, letting my lips linger on hers for a few moments. "Rise and shine, mommy." I whispered, receiving a small smile in return.

"Did you decide yet?"

I flashed her a brilliant smile, one I knew she could see right through. _'She caught me.'_ was the only thing that my mind would process. "Of course I did, you asked me to choose a name, and I thought long and hard on it." Okay, that wasn't exactly true. I had been far too excited to give it any thought, until she had arrived into this world a few hours ago.

"What about… Natsu?" I sounded hopeful, even to my own ears. Kyoko narrowed her eyes, shaking her head slightly. "Mio?" Now _she_ looked like Mio, I could have sworn the air was getting colder.

"Think again, Kuon."


	7. Breath

_**25 Ways to Say I Love You  
**_Sariah Loire  
7. Breath

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

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My breath smelled like alcohol. I won't deny that, it would be pointless to. Anyone I spoke to would have smelled it, but most of them would have let it pass without a word. Being one of Japan's most popular actors came at a price to one's sanity.

Yes, _most_ people in the industry would have let it pass. Along with what I did while the smell of liquor was so thick around me. It wouldn't have been given a second thought, and Miss Mogami seemed to have felt the same way about it.

When she showed up at my apartment, I didn't have the ability to hold back the string of profanities that wanted out. Thankfully, the door was still closed. I'm hoping she didn't hear. It was obvious Yashiro had tipped her off about my drinking binge, she looked more worried than usual.

I had let her in, inasmuch as I could barely stand without swaying. She took one look at the liquor bottles strewn across the coffee table, and set me with a firm glare. That's right, I had promised her I wouldn't drink, didn't I? When was that, sometime after she had heard I substituted alcohol for meals?

She made me lay on the couch as she straightened up. I heard glass bottles breaking, much to my dismay. Kyoko was going to take away the only thing that kept me sane during the times living as Ren Tsuruga became too much for me. The alcohol was great when I got the urge to break down and tell Kyoko who I was.

I passed out not long after she arrived; at least that's what she said. But I remember what happened before that, even thought Kyoko would run a thousand miles away if she knew that I remembered.

I had watched her clean and fuss over me for over half an hour, my resolve slowly whittling away as the liquid processed through my mind. I felt brave, it was a dangerous feeling.

"Mr. Tsuruga, why don't you go to bed? You'll feel better in the morning." She had knelt next to the couch, with a cool hand on my forehead. She was so worried, so concerned. And for some crazy reason she thought that she didn't have the ability to love anyone? "I'll help you, try to sit up."

"I love you." The words were slurred, I could barely understand them myself. But it was too late, they were out. "Oh, god, I love you." I closed my eyes immediately; I knew the damage had been done. I couldn't bear to see the look of fear that must be on her face.

I heard her breath draw in sharply, but she didn't move. It was a few moments before she began breathing normally again, but she stayed kneeling beside me. Finally, I felt her soft hand pick up mine from where it had fallen to touch the floor. She intertwined her fingers with mine. I held my breathing steady, thanking my past for the ability to look unconscious.

"T-Thank you, Mr. Tsuruga." Her words couldn't even be called a whisper, they were far too soft and quiet. Or maybe they were just my imagination, something I dreamed up to forgive myself for telling her my feelings when I was intoxicated.

Finally I did pass out, with Kyoko still holding my hand as if I was a scared child having nightmares. And when I woke up this morning, I was alone. If I wouldn't have found a vile drink on the coffee table, I wouldn't have believed that last night really happened. I forced myself to drink it, along with a bit of vodka I found in my room, and made my way into LME after a quick shower.

When I saw Kyoko, I expected her to run, or at least to be embarrassed. But she had smiled brilliantly, asking me how I felt.

"I feel surprisingly well, Miss Mogami. Thank you for the… interesting drink." I forced a smile, but my mind was jumping leaps and bounds. If she was still here, then did that mean she accepted my drunken confession? "I must have fallen asleep on the couch last night, did I… I mean, I didn't do anything to trouble you, did I?"

She froze for a moment, but it was so quickly that I barely noticed it. "No, Mr. Tsuruga." She finally said, smiling once again. "You fell asleep almost as soon as I walked through the door."

I smiled back, excusing myself from the conversation. There was no reason to let her hear the sound of my fragile hopes once again shattering. I coughed into my hand, looking around for something to wash the taste of the drink away. I couldn't blame her for her reaction, of course. There was no reason to believe a confession from someone with alcohol on their breath.


	8. Trust

_**25 Ways to Say I Love You  
**_Sariah Loire  
8. Trust

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

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"You have to trust me, Miss Mogami."

"B-But Mr. Tsuruga, they're going to think that I _wanted_ to dance in the middle of everyone."

"Why don't you let them think whatever they wish to?"

"Doesn't it embarrass you, being the centre of attention like this?"

"Miss Mogami, I'll have you know that everyone is going to be too busy dancing to even notice us."

"That would be too good to hope for, Mr. Tsuruga."

"Then would you rather find someone else?"

"N-No, you're the only one who knows I can't dance!"

"And I would advise you to trust me and follow my lead, if you don't want your secret to get out."

It would have worked perfectly, if all had gone according to her plan. Kyoko might have never been noticed. But then I had to go and propose to her in the middle of the dance floor, and everyone _did_ turn to applaud for us. Perhaps she was right about not trusting me, after all.


	9. Annoy

_**25 Ways to Say I Love You  
**_Sariah Loire  
9. Annoy

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

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Every month, every week, and every day, my phone would ring at the same time. He never stopped calling, never stopped trying to get his point across. I would listen to him, day after day, while he spoke about the reasons he should be obeyed.

After the first few weeks, Kyoko turned her phone off and refused to answer our house's phone when she knew it was him. It had put a small damper on his enthusiasm, but it didn't get the point through his thick skull. He just shook it off and started calling me instead.

Today, when my phone rang, I knew I had to end it.

"Kuon! How are you?" His voice was way too cheerful at this ungodly hour of the morning. Of course, it was night in America, so...

"Same as I was yesterday morning, Father." Kyoko groaned, covering her head with a pillow. I would have gotten out of the bed in order to let her sleep, but it was too warm to leave. "Listen, Father, about these calls every morning…"

"Wait, Kuon, before I forget, let me tell you the newest reason! Your mother thought it up this morning!" I sighed and let him talk; he was too excited for me to get a word in, anyway. "Hold on, let me get the paper." I heard rustling in the background. _'He's actually keeping a list?'_

"Ah, here it is! Reason number 158 for 'Why Kuu and Juli need grandchildren'." Kyoko sat up, putting her ear close to the phone. "Juli can cook big meals for everyone, and teach her grandchildren how families should all eat together!"

Kyoko dissolved into a fit of laughter, while I fumbled with words for a minute. "Y-yeah, good idea, Father. I'll let Kyoko know about that one, and see what she thinks." I managed to hang the phone up before I joined in with Kyoko. This was our morning routine now, and even though it was more than just annoying at times, our future children would be sure to have grandparental love of legend.


	10. Grave

_**25 Ways to Say I Love You  
**_Sariah Loire  
10. Grave

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

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It was an unusually cold morning, that early December hour. It didn't help that there were no trees, no flowers, no foliage of any kind to give us shelter from the raw elements. There was nothing but row after row of cold, cement stones. They were all in rows, unfeeling and harsh against the bleak clouded sky.

Three days ago was the day I had to break the news to Kyoko. A reporter had accosted me with the information, and I knew that she needed to know before anyone asked her about it. There was no way to tell her kindly, despite the gentleness I tried to use with my words.

We attended the premier of her newest movie that night with Kyoko acting as little more than a lifeless doll. I helped her past the rows of screaming fans, the flashes of camera, and the faces of sympathetic co-workers. She didn't speak a single word during the showing; she leaned her head on my shoulder and let her tears fall.

And three days later, standing in front of the smallest of the stones, she wept again.

Tears for the person who had done nothing but reject her, despite the young girl's unchanging adoration. Tears for the woman who abandoned her position as mother. Tears for the human who could do nothing in the face of the disease that took her life at such a young age.

Many years later, after our own children were born, Kyoko would still have a distant look in her eyes every December. And when she thought no one could hear her, she shed tears for the woman. Kyoko's fragile heart will probably never be able to fully heal over the wound her mother spent so long making.


	11. Death

_**25 Ways to Say I Love You  
**_Sariah Loire  
11. Death

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me. Apologies for the angst._

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It might have been easier to bear if I would have had Kyoko by my side. I would have had someone to lean on, someone to share my sorrow with. Even if I had to hold back my tears in front of her, it still would have been worth it, just to have been able to feel her presence standing next to me.

Instead, she was across the room with my father. Her arm was around his shoulders, as if a child was supporting their parent, instead of the other way around. I wanted to be in her place, oh how I wished to be able to have him tell me that everything was going to be okay, that I was still his Kuon, and that he didn't blame me for what happened.

But I knew that there was no way he could utter those words to me, they would be lies, after all. It _was_ my fault; it was only because of me that the beautiful woman who had cared for me as a child lay cold, and unmoving in that metal casket.

The ceremony and burial took place in California. Despite the lecture I had given Kyoko about working even if a family member dies, I had cancelled appointments and spent a small fortune to get on a last-minute flight to make it to my mother's side before she departed this world. I had made it with precious few moments to spare.

And then, at the ceremony itself, I couldn't go to the one family member I had left in the world, for fear that he would reject me. He might have chalked it up to the fact that I was still keeping my heritage a secret, but that would never have kept me away from his side during that time.

The president arrived not long after I got there. As soon as he walked in, he strode past the casket and to his friend's side. The two had a tearful embrace; the president was no doubt reliving similar memories of the day he had faced so many years ago.

While I was watching them, I failed to notice the short young woman who had made her way to my side. "Why don't you go talk to Father? I think he wants to see you, he kept looking over here."

I knew better, but I went anyway. I didn't walk around the back, where the crowd wouldn't speculate why I was at the funeral for such a widely known model as Juli Hizuri. I walked across the front of the church, straight for the man who had done nothing but try to help me accomplish my dream.

When I reached the spot where he stood, he didn't accuse me. He didn't become angry, or tell me to leave. He opened his arms and I stepped into them. Five years was a long time to be apart, but facing the thought of never seeing each other again took away the petty things that had worked so well to separate us.

But I would never forgive myself for letting death be the thing that brought us back together.


	12. Betrayal

_**25 Ways to Say I Love You  
**_Sariah Loire  
12. Betrayal

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

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I'll never know why I kept the secret for as long as I did, but I'll never let go of the chance I lost because of it. Her eyes, her smile, all of the things I wanted most slipped through my fingers without a second chance.

No, that's not it. I had plenty of second chances, the number harbored on a ridiculous amount, if I would let myself accept the reality that was in front of me.

I lied to her, in every conceivable way. My past, both distant and near, was made to seem like a fun time of joyfully working towards becoming an actor. Hell, even the newspapers ran the same story I told her. I told myself I didn't have a choice, there was no way I could tell her the real story. Not Kyoko, not the one woman I would give my life for.

So I lied to her, again and again. One small fib led to another, and another… until I was watching everything I said around her, being careful to not slip up and speak a word of truth.

Now that I think about it, maybe the lies started before I ever met her in Tokyo. Since, after all, the face the public loved so well was created by powders and fake colour. Not to mention my outward persona, which was carefully crafted by the President and me. Every inch of my celebrity life was one, single fabrication.

But she's been gone for three months now, as the calendar painfully states. Not that I need another reminder, as every time my heart beats, it remembers the day she left.

I couldn't explain to her why I had kept so much from her; the heartbreak in her eyes was enough to silence me for an eternity. I knew there was nothing I could do to get her back. The next morning I had found a note attached to a small package, one that I couldn't open. I didn't need to. My tainted hands didn't want to read the last goodbyes she had left me.

I'll never blame her for leaving, how could she think of starting a life with a person who she knew nothing about?

But now, after three months, the small diamond ring I had given to her was wearing through the paper pouch she had made for it when she returned it to my apartment. When I tried to shove the ring back into the hidden corners of the pouch, the note fell to the floor, opening as it drifted silently downwards.

'_When you find yourself, and can love yourself, I'll come back. Keep this for me until then, as I still want it and the commitment that goes along with it.'_


	13. Sunshine

_**25 Ways to Say I Love You  
**_Sariah Loire  
13. Sunshine

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

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"Ren, where are we going?"

I ignored her words, tugging softly on the small hand that was enclosed in mine. Kyoko had been protesting ever since we left the set in Kyoto, where we were filming on location. She was afraid that we wouldn't make it back in time, not knowing that I had already spoken to the director and got his permission for us to take a long lunch break.

"I said, you'll see when we get there." My mind was racing, as I was thinking of every way possible to keep her from realizing where I was taking her. "Now, you'd better recite your lines for this afternoon." I put on a slightly teasing voice, the one I used when I wanted to spark a reaction out of her. "You know that it's so hard for you to remember the _important_ ones."

When she let out a displeased squawk, I turned and smiled at her. Kyoko tried to glare at me, but a giggle escaped her lips, undermining the false hardness in her eyes. "Fine, I will." She raised her chin haughtily, and began spilling out lines faster than I could keep up with, as if to prove her ability.

Of course, it didn't matter to me what she was saying, I was busy looking for the small markings that I had made on the particular trees that I needed to turn by. I didn't really think that I could forget the way to the clearing, but I was nervous enough that something could go wrong at any time.

By the time we reached the two special trees I was searching for, Kyoko was thoroughly engrossed in the lines from the drama we were starring opposite each other in. I had even started saying a few back, just to be sure that her mind was off of the forest we were travelling through.

Pushing a few branches out of the way, I heard rustling in the nearby trees, and saw a glimpse of a grey suit. Normally Mr. Yashiro's involvement would have put me in a sour mood, but this time I had enlisted his help to deliver a very special item.

When I pulled Kyoko into the clearing, she looked up and her incessant chatter stopped. I watched her mouth form into a small '_o_', and her eyes lit up. It was, after all, her most favorite place. She spun around to face me, a beautiful smile gracing her lips. "Ren, why didn't you tell me that you wanted to come visit Corn's forest?" A slight redness flushed her cheeks for only a moment. "Well, _your_ forest."

"No, this forest is yours, too." I reached to take her hand, but she was too excited to be back in that old, enchanted forest to stand still.

Kyoko flitted from place to place, calling out what specific memories she had from each spot. When she got close to the creek, she stopped, her voice cut short. "What's that?"

Fighting back a wave of nerves, I kept my voice steady. "What do you mean?"

"There's something sparkling here on the…" Kyoko bent down to see what it was, and gasped. When she turned around to ask me about the item she had found, her eyes were as wide as saucers. I smiled at her, feeling like a shy child.

"Do you like it?"

She picked up the ring, a dainty silver piece set with a diamond encased in wing-like carvings. Kyoko looked from the ring to me, to the ring, and back to me. After a few moments her eyes filled with tears, as she held the ring up and the light glinted off of it, much like her 'Corn' stone. "Yes." Her whisper was barely loud enough to be heard.

"Do you want to keep it?" I walked across the clearing then, moving to stand in front of the petite girl who was entranced by the ring. I reached out and took it from her, sliding it on the bare finger on her left hand. "Because if you do, I know of a fairy prince that would love for you to have it." The tears began falling from her eyes then, as she threw her arms as far around my neck as she could reach.

We promised ourselves to each other in that clearing. It was a sunshine-filled day, just like the day I met her, so long ago.


	14. Pain

_**25 Ways to Say I Love You  
**_Sariah Loire  
14. Pain

_Skip Beat! and its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

* * *

I really didn't think the pain could get any worse than it had been for the first ten, or twenty, minutes. I had tried to endure it, working hard at keeping my perfect façade up. I'm pretty sure my smile looked genuine to her, at least.

She had worked hard, cooking and preparing for days. He had tried to dampen her enthusiasm, to bring her back down to earth a little, but he was just as excited as she was, if not more so.

At least he showed it in different ways. Like pulling out old baby albums and home videos.

But I had held up until the hour was late enough that I could retire to bed without any strange looks. 'Jet lag' I had said, and was met with sympathetic nods. The only one who didn't buy it was Kyoko, and she had said her goodnights as well, following me out of the room.

Now she was sitting on the side of my bed, in the same familiar room that I had spent so many years in. Kyoko was trying to look sympathetic, but I knew there was laughter behind that look she was giving me. Especially since I was in too much pain to move off the bed.

"You shouldn't have tried to eat all of it, Ren! Even I don't try to feed you that much at one time." Her voice was barely over a whisper, I knew she would never want to be overheard.

"Not to mention that your food is good enough that I actually _want_ to eat it. Hers on the other hand…" I groaned, burying my face in the pillow. My stomach felt as if it was on fire.

"So why did you eat it all?"

I looked over at Kyoko, from the ring on her hand to the laughing smile gracing her lips. I groaned again, turning my head the other way. I mumbled into the pillow, staring at the opposite wall. She laughed and leaned over me, her hair tickling the side of my face.

"What'd you say?" She pulled the pillow back a little.

I sighed, rolling over onto my back so that I could see the impish look I knew would be on Kyoko's face. "It's the first meal she cooked for me since I was 15."

My simple, one-sentence answer brought a beautiful smile to Kyoko's face, and she produced a glass of water and some antacids."Exactly." She whispered, touching her forehead to mine.

I leaned up to kiss her waiting lips, ignoring the pain. Some things were more important than comfort, after all.


End file.
